The article is jam-packed with pearls of wisdom, but this quote from one of the gossip-survivors just rings especially true:

Elsa realized that denying the rumors seemed to make them worse, so she decided to confront them head-on. “The more I was like, ‘It happened. Get over it,’ the more people would drop it. I think that when you don’t tell people things and they know it, they become even more invested in figuring out what it is. If you’re honest and up-front about it, it goes away.”

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Signe Whitson is an author and educator on bullying, crisis intervention, and child and adolescent emotional and behavioral health. In her articles, books, and training workshops, Signe provides down-to-earth, practical advice for professionals and parents on navigating the daily challenges of living and working with children, tweens and teens.